What’s the difference between mobility and flexibility and what can it do for your running? Lisa Buckingham speaks to two top trainers to find out

How often do you dedicate time to mobility work? The answer from most runners would be either ‘very little’ or ‘I have no idea what that is!’ But read on because focusing on your mobility will do wonders for speed, form as well as injury prevention. We give you the lowdown…

WHAT IS IT?

“It’s working on being able to move your body through its full range of motion but with control and strength”, says Rich Tidmarsh, top strength and conditioning coach and founder of Reach Fitness, London (r4reach.com).

“Good mobility differs from good flexibility; being super-bendy can actually be a problem if you don’t have the accompanying strength. You see it a lot in yoga classes – people who are very flexible but aren’t in control of the movement.”

With mobility work, you’re activating the key muscles for running in a functional way. “You’re on one leg at a time on a run, so you need to work on pelvic control; strong, open hips and ankles, and gluteals that fire up to support the hips and back”, says Rich.

“Moving up the body, you also need pillar strength in your torso to keep a powerful posture that keeps your energy going in a forward motion, rather than sagging over. Alongside the core, the muscles down the back of your body (known as the posterior chain) are part of this pillar strength.”

HOW WILL IT MAKE ME A BETTER RUNNER?

Mobility work is active so you lengthen and strengthen muscles, and open up joints to be more flexible at the same time. “The result is that you can hold your shape when you’re running, so you can run longer and faster with good form and efficiency”, says Rich.